Fall River carousel getting patched up, to be spinning by spring

The popular carousel near Battleship Cove, which has been shuttered since August due to needed repairs, is expected to be spinning again by spring. Kenneth Fiola, vice president of the Fall River Office of Economic Development, the organization that owns the decades-old carousel, said Hetzler Contracti...

The popular carousel near Battleship Cove, which has been shuttered since August due to needed repairs, is expected to be spinning again by spring.

Kenneth Fiola, vice president of the Fall River Office of Economic Development, the organization that owns the decades-old carousel, said local roofing company Hetzler Contracting is replacing shingles and laying rubber roofing on the building that houses the carousel. The work should be done by Dec. 1.

Work on the water-damaged ceiling is going to be repaired by FROED staff.

Fiola said he’s waiting for a technician to make a minor repair to the carousel after the ride was rendered inoperable.

The carousel, built in 1920, is located near Battleship Cove. Staff of Battleship Cove have been managing the attraction since 2001 at no cost to FROED.

The ride was originally owned by amusement park Lincoln Park in Dartmouth. When the park closed, the carousel was nearly shipped to New York to be auctioned off, but the carousel was rescued by a group of Fall River business owners.

The carousel reopened in Fall River on May 22, 1992, after it was refurbished. More than 250,000 riders enjoyed the carousel the first year.

Fiola said the cost to repair the carousel is between $65,000 and $70,000, funded by FROED.

A crucial step, said Fiola, will be to meet with the Department of Conservation and Recreation and secure a lease for the land the carousel sits on. Fiola said he made the request to meet with DCR three weeks ago and is still waiting for a meeting.

When FROED initially received the carousel, it negotiated a lease on the land at Fall River Heritage State Park, which DCR owns, but no lease was ever signed. As part of the agreement, DCR wanted FROED to pave the parking lot and provide security, which was declined.

Despite not having a lease from DCR, the city was granted authorization to place the carousel and pavilion at that location through legislation under Chapter 530 of the Acts of 1991, according to Bill Hickey, acting press secretary for the DCR.

After FROED reaches an agreement, Fiola will look for a third-party partner.

“I want to keep all options open, and I’m open to an independent third-party who can maximize the carousel,” Fiola said.

He said he foresees bringing a concession stand to the site and offering more private functions.

Battleship Cove Executive Director Brad King said his organization is still interested in continuing to manage the carousel, and said he met with Fiola last week.

“We’re still on track,” King said.

City Councilor David Dennis, who is head of the City Council Committee on Economic Development and Tourism, has been critical of FROED for allowing the carousel to deteriorate.

Page 2 of 2 - “It didn’t happen overnight,” Dennis said.

Although his term will be over at year’s end, Dennis said he will have one more committee meeting to get an official update on the carousel.

“We don’t want to be back here with patch-ups and putting the carousel on the back burner,” Dennis said.